5 ms·

My two cents on the RSI and fast typing. I learned typing 40 years ago, in the same way as secretaries do, with a real mechanical typewriter (an Olivetti one),

My two cents on the RSI and fast typing. I learned typing 40 years ago, in the same way as secretaries do, with a real mechanical typewriter (an Olivetti one), and following an standard typewriter course for 2 months. My parents and relatives also used mechanical typewriters for 20 years before (8 hours a day). The writer says "CapsLock is useless... remap". I have seen that statement a lot of times, and I deeply feel it wrong. That means the author hasn't been properly trained at typing. Maybe he also lacks: - The balance of the "space" between the two hands. - using the opposite shift for the special chars. - using caps for continuous uppercase... - numbers had an assigned finger. (Some people overuse only 2 fingers for them). - the hand position and they way the rest/float in the keyboard, needed to achieve more than 100word/min. - forearm and hand alignment. I have work with people with RSI and almost all of them lack proper training at typing. So they tend to overuse 2/3 fingers, to only use one side of the space bar, or only one shift. They don't balance correctly the hands, and some positions are forced.

daveFNbuck 6y ago
What makes remapping capslock wrong? Does proper typing training make it easy to reach the escape key?
- rsecora 6y ago
  I don't say there is a silver bullet. But there is tendency on people not trained in typewriting to have RSI. And the capslock remapping is a clue of people not being trained. Maybe the training forces to have the right siting position or to remove bad positions, or the memory muscle needed to achieve more than 100 words/min, or the hand not overusing 2/3 fingers. Or the hand position... Or maybe its everything. For me it's like heavy lifting, they way you push/pull the weights, minimize the injuries.
  - daveFNbuck 6y ago
    How does capslock remapping have anything to do with proper training? I remapped capslock because it had been years since I pressed it intentionally, but I use escape all the time. Does remapping capslock mean I worked too hard to type this comment?
    - rsecora 6y ago
      No, you don't need caps lock for this text, because there aren't two continuous uppercase keys. My comment was about my memory muscle. I developed it in a training a long ago. I feel my typing unnatural when I don't have capslock. I have notice that this also happens to people that have learn typewriting in the school. In the training you learn: there are two shift keys, use caps lock, use both hands, only press with fingers, never use two fingers of the same hand, sit correctly, align the forearm and the hand, mistakes are costly. Online keyboard typing usage focus on finger, but in the 80s, the first training day was also on proper position. if your current workflow don't need caps lock go for it. I'm not advocating for remapping or not. I have only notice the way the caps lock (or the two shifts) are used, usually implies the operator has perform a typewriting training back in the days.
      - daveFNbuck 6y ago
        As another anecdote for your collection, I was taught to type on a typewriter in a course in middle school in the 90's. Having to type multiple capital letters in a row is rare enough that I never developed a habit of using the capslock key. I get by using shift on the rare occasions that I need to type multiple capital characters in a row. It's rarely more than one word.
        rsecora 6y ago
        Right, typing multiple caps in a row was mostly a way to place emphasis at the time of mechanical typewriters. When there was only a font, no italics, and two colors (if you where lucky). Anyway, it's obsolete for modern usage https://www.wired.com/2006/08/death-to-caps-lock/ https://www.wired.com/2006/08/death-to-caps-lock/
        daveFNbuck 6y ago
        I'm having trouble squaring the things you've said at this point. You commented earlier with > The writer says "CapsLock is useless... remap". I have seen that statement a lot of times, and I deeply feel it wrong. That means the author hasn't been properly trained at typing. If the capslock key is obselete, why is it wrong to remap it? Why would remapping an obselete key indicate improper training? Perhaps the author was trained properly on a different system, or had the same training as you but has since adapted. I get that it's part of your muscle memory and you'd prefer to keep using an obselete key, but why say it's wrong for others to not use the capslock key?
xwdv 6y ago
Remapping capslock to escape is not wrong if you’re using vim, in fact I would say it’s practically a requirement.
- rsecora 6y ago
  I've been using vi since 1985 (Xenix vi), and I have never in the need of remapping caps to ESC. But I don't press ESC with the little finger, I use the ring finger. Maybe I use the ring finger because the keyboards of the 80s were too hard. (and there were no ESC usage in those days typewriter training).
  - xwdv 6y ago
    Pressing escape is a very slow movement for something that happens quite frequently IMO.
- tzs 6y ago
  BTW, a lot of people don't realize this, but ESC is the same as CTRL-[. If you have a keyboard with CTRL in a good position, CTRL-[ can actually be very easy to type, requiring very little total movement.
austhrow743 6y ago
Many people lack a need for continuous uppercase. It might have been a big enough deal back in your typewriter days when bold and font size changes weren’t an option but it’s certainly not common enough to warrant a dedicated button in prime position now.
- rsecora 6y ago
  Some people always type in lowercase and use vim "U" to uppercase word/sentence/paragraph. A collage of mine do that. There is a workflow for everyone. If your workflow don't need that caps key, remap it. But in my case, remapping capslock, breaks the typing flow. There is a workflow for everyone.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
DavidVoid 6y ago
Caps lock is usefully but only occasionally, so it doesn't make sense to give it its own key in such a prominent position. Remapping the Caps Lock key to Control is imo very useful. I use a HHKB so if I want to use Caps Lock I just press Fn+Tab.
- rsecora 6y ago
  Right, the world has changed in the last 40 years. And you have developed memory muscle for Fn+Tab for the same purpose. Great. But some oldies like me, feel when a keyboard lacks some keys, and I notice when other people have also being trained in the same way. (use two shift, only one finger from each hand each time (shift pressed with opposite hand to the key), balance the shift, balance the space-key... A lot of combinations that are deep inside. It's like an continental european driving in the UK, almost the same rules, but the body feels something is different, and the conscience pays more attention.
tzs 6y ago
Caps lock is not useless, but its placement is totally inappropriate, and this has nothing to do with how trained you are. In English text, and most programming languages, most of the text is in one case (usually lower), with small runs (often only one character long) in the other case. For runs of one case switched character, shift will almost always beat caps lock because of the need to hit caps lock again to get back to the majority case. Only when you get a longer run of switched case, or perhaps a shorter run where the letters nearly alternate between left hand and right hand letters so you are alternating shift keys or doing some characters with the "wrong" shift key if you are not good at alternating, do you change caps lock state. For most text only a very small fraction of key presses will be to change caps lock state. Even Khassaki would only press it once. There is simply no way to justify putting it in the prime spot to the left of "A". Also, while being in caps lock state is useful on some occasions, that does not mean that there needs to be a dedicated key to change that state. I suspect that something like pressing both shift keys simultaneously would be fine as a caps lock state toggle, or something like left shift/right shift/left shift.
- rsecora 6y ago
  Right, it was an skill of the old days, when typewriting was done for copying papers and transcribing in mechanical or Selectric machines. Note also there are two shift. They were designed to use with the opposite hand to the key being type. So only one finger in each hand is pressing the keyboard, that applies to uppercase and for special characters. This also alleviates RSI. On my case, its late to change the memory muscle, so I use the caps when there are more than two upper keys. Same happens to oldies like me, that were trained in the 60s/70s/80s. We still use both shifts and the capslocks. And I usually recognize those that were trained like me by the way the type.
code-faster 6y ago
Hi, I'm the author, I would love to know more about proper typing training, I've never heard of such a thing beyond touch typing. Do you have any suggested online resources or books for where I could start?
- rsecora 6y ago
  Nice article, i'm sorry you have developed RSI at a young age. I was trained when I was a teenager near 40 years ago. I don't keep those training materials, but I will try to summarize it. I think most of the materials are now in the memories of the 60s/70s years old. But there are some online resources [0], a video is not like an teacher in the 80s, but it can help. My training was directed by a teacher (female, old, no jokes, focused, loved her work). Now I known there is a big difference having a teacher, she can correct you. It's like heavy lifting, everybody can try to pull a bar. But there are small mistakes that can be corrected, and will avoid common injuries. The first day in the training, was about "position". The teacher corrected me for the first week (a lot of times, teenagers are stubborn). The first day was about: * sitting position. * forearm, wrist, hand position. The forearm, the wrist and the hand shall be aligned. Somehow floating, but not floating, resting with no pressure even typing. It's difficult to describe but this video [0] of the 50s can help. * Not placing the forearm aligned with the hand is one of the most common mistakes in people. Some people align the thumbnails of both hands, that's a mistake that put pressure on the wrist and forearm muscles. The ergonomic keyboards are designed to correct this, and to return the hand/forearm to the right alignment. There are some videos from the 50 [2], mentioning this. * Shoulder shall be relaxed, one effect of not having proper forearm/hand alignment is also compression in the shoulder. * Training for IBM Selectric and training for a mechanical typewriters was mostly similar. But everybody begins with the mechanical ones. You need to "hammer" the mechanical ones. They needed more pressure and force using the fingers (not the wrist). When changing to the Selectric, the words/minute increased automatically. They keys do not jam due to fast typing, and the Selectric has memory and automatic carriage returns. But position, and memory muscles remained. * Stretch the hands at the end. (I was forced to do it and can't go out of school immediately after finish assignment). Now, 40 years after, I know it helps after long typing sessions, but as a teenager it was another boring rule to break. * Caps-locks: I see a lot of comment in this thread about cap-locks. Each of us shall use the flow that best suits their work. But for me, I have memory muscle of using the Caps when there are more than two continuous uppercase. It's intuitive, i don't think about it. When it's not there, my memory muscle rebels. My hands feel it deeply wrong due to two months of training 40 years ago. If remapping caps fits you, go for it. * Shift balance. Only one finger from each hand at the same time. This avoid forced positions in a single hand. (applies also to ctrl and special characters). * Space-key balance. space pressed with the opposite thumb to the previous used hand. Once you were properly in position, the finger training begins (repetition of key patterns). But for the few first days, the teacher corrected us the position continuously (interrupting the key repetition). After a few days: the focus on position, changed to focus on typing mistakes. Nobody went out of the room until they completed the exercises without errors. For me that means expending two hours instead of one like my school mates that were there for one only one hour. I don't keep materials, but looking for similar books, this "Elementary Typewriting I"[3] from 1960 gives some hints. I'm pretty sure, back in the days, there were a lot of methods. Check the us navy film [0]. The position was also their first lesson. Those days, clerks spends 8 hours of continuous typing, and an injury means full stop. [0] US Navy training material, first day. Emphasis on position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1e4BC41wRU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1e4BC41wRU [1] 1930 contests. Show the position of clerks using mechanical typewriters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-x9JX8ypJ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-x9JX8ypJ0 [2] common typing mistakes. Use your fingers, not the wrist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQszbUhE30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQszbUhE30 [3] US Army book on typewriting https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=K_f3apVfwOYC&rdid=book-K_f3apVfwOYC&rdot=1 https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=K_f3apVfwOYC&...
justwalt 6y ago
How should a trained professional be using caps lock?
- rsecora 6y ago
  Typewriting was an skill in the XX century. In order to reach high words/min, you need to develop memory muscle and avoid typing errors. Those days, a single typing error means repeat a full page. With modern word processor that have disappear. It was common to have two or more caps in a row. There are two shift. They were designed to use with the opposite hand to the key being type. So only one finger in each hand is pressing the keyboard, that applies to uppercase and special characters. Fast typing means you avoid errors and balance the hands. For uppercase/special chars you need both hands, one pressing the shift, the other pressing the key. When there were two or more characters, the operator switch to caps, it was easier, faster. The memory muscle was developed. Back in the days, mechanical machines don't have italics, only one font, and bold was tricky in some machines. This applies also for Selectric, nobody changed the ball in the middle on a text. So uppercase was used for emphasis. That's how a trained professional used caps lock 40 years ago. Currently, it depends on your text input.

daveFNbuck 6y ago

What makes remapping capslock wrong? Does proper typing training make it easy to reach the escape key?

rsecora 6y ago
I don't say there is a silver bullet. But there is tendency on people not trained in typewriting to have RSI. And the capslock remapping is a clue of people not being trained. Maybe the training forces to have the right siting position or to remove bad positions, or the memory muscle needed to achieve more than 100 words/min, or the hand not overusing 2/3 fingers. Or the hand position... Or maybe its everything. For me it's like heavy lifting, they way you push/pull the weights, minimize the injuries.
- daveFNbuck 6y ago
  How does capslock remapping have anything to do with proper training? I remapped capslock because it had been years since I pressed it intentionally, but I use escape all the time. Does remapping capslock mean I worked too hard to type this comment?
  - rsecora 6y ago
    No, you don't need caps lock for this text, because there aren't two continuous uppercase keys. My comment was about my memory muscle. I developed it in a training a long ago. I feel my typing unnatural when I don't have capslock. I have notice that this also happens to people that have learn typewriting in the school. In the training you learn: there are two shift keys, use caps lock, use both hands, only press with fingers, never use two fingers of the same hand, sit correctly, align the forearm and the hand, mistakes are costly. Online keyboard typing usage focus on finger, but in the 80s, the first training day was also on proper position. if your current workflow don't need caps lock go for it. I'm not advocating for remapping or not. I have only notice the way the caps lock (or the two shifts) are used, usually implies the operator has perform a typewriting training back in the days.
    - daveFNbuck 6y ago
      As another anecdote for your collection, I was taught to type on a typewriter in a course in middle school in the 90's. Having to type multiple capital letters in a row is rare enough that I never developed a habit of using the capslock key. I get by using shift on the rare occasions that I need to type multiple capital characters in a row. It's rarely more than one word.
      - rsecora 6y ago
        Right, typing multiple caps in a row was mostly a way to place emphasis at the time of mechanical typewriters. When there was only a font, no italics, and two colors (if you where lucky). Anyway, it's obsolete for modern usage https://www.wired.com/2006/08/death-to-caps-lock/ https://www.wired.com/2006/08/death-to-caps-lock/
        daveFNbuck 6y ago
        I'm having trouble squaring the things you've said at this point. You commented earlier with > The writer says "CapsLock is useless... remap". I have seen that statement a lot of times, and I deeply feel it wrong. That means the author hasn't been properly trained at typing. If the capslock key is obselete, why is it wrong to remap it? Why would remapping an obselete key indicate improper training? Perhaps the author was trained properly on a different system, or had the same training as you but has since adapted. I get that it's part of your muscle memory and you'd prefer to keep using an obselete key, but why say it's wrong for others to not use the capslock key?

xwdv 6y ago

Remapping capslock to escape is not wrong if you’re using vim, in fact I would say it’s practically a requirement.

rsecora 6y ago
I've been using vi since 1985 (Xenix vi), and I have never in the need of remapping caps to ESC. But I don't press ESC with the little finger, I use the ring finger. Maybe I use the ring finger because the keyboards of the 80s were too hard. (and there were no ESC usage in those days typewriter training).
- xwdv 6y ago
  Pressing escape is a very slow movement for something that happens quite frequently IMO.
tzs 6y ago
BTW, a lot of people don't realize this, but ESC is the same as CTRL-[. If you have a keyboard with CTRL in a good position, CTRL-[ can actually be very easy to type, requiring very little total movement.

austhrow743 6y ago

Many people lack a need for continuous uppercase. It might have been a big enough deal back in your typewriter days when bold and font size changes weren’t an option but it’s certainly not common enough to warrant a dedicated button in prime position now.

rsecora 6y ago
Some people always type in lowercase and use vim "U" to uppercase word/sentence/paragraph. A collage of mine do that. There is a workflow for everyone. If your workflow don't need that caps key, remap it. But in my case, remapping capslock, breaks the typing flow. There is a workflow for everyone.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

DavidVoid 6y ago

Caps lock is usefully but only occasionally, so it doesn't make sense to give it its own key in such a prominent position. Remapping the Caps Lock key to Control is imo very useful. I use a HHKB so if I want to use Caps Lock I just press Fn+Tab.

rsecora 6y ago
Right, the world has changed in the last 40 years. And you have developed memory muscle for Fn+Tab for the same purpose. Great. But some oldies like me, feel when a keyboard lacks some keys, and I notice when other people have also being trained in the same way. (use two shift, only one finger from each hand each time (shift pressed with opposite hand to the key), balance the shift, balance the space-key... A lot of combinations that are deep inside. It's like an continental european driving in the UK, almost the same rules, but the body feels something is different, and the conscience pays more attention.

tzs 6y ago

Caps lock is not useless, but its placement is totally inappropriate, and this has nothing to do with how trained you are. In English text, and most programming languages, most of the text is in one case (usually lower), with small runs (often only one character long) in the other case. For runs of one case switched character, shift will almost always beat caps lock because of the need to hit caps lock again to get back to the majority case. Only when you get a longer run of switched case, or perhaps a shorter run where the letters nearly alternate between left hand and right hand letters so you are alternating shift keys or doing some characters with the "wrong" shift key if you are not good at alternating, do you change caps lock state. For most text only a very small fraction of key presses will be to change caps lock state. Even Khassaki would only press it once. There is simply no way to justify putting it in the prime spot to the left of "A". Also, while being in caps lock state is useful on some occasions, that does not mean that there needs to be a dedicated key to change that state. I suspect that something like pressing both shift keys simultaneously would be fine as a caps lock state toggle, or something like left shift/right shift/left shift.

rsecora 6y ago
Right, it was an skill of the old days, when typewriting was done for copying papers and transcribing in mechanical or Selectric machines. Note also there are two shift. They were designed to use with the opposite hand to the key being type. So only one finger in each hand is pressing the keyboard, that applies to uppercase and for special characters. This also alleviates RSI. On my case, its late to change the memory muscle, so I use the caps when there are more than two upper keys. Same happens to oldies like me, that were trained in the 60s/70s/80s. We still use both shifts and the capslocks. And I usually recognize those that were trained like me by the way the type.

code-faster 6y ago

Hi, I'm the author, I would love to know more about proper typing training, I've never heard of such a thing beyond touch typing. Do you have any suggested online resources or books for where I could start?

rsecora 6y ago
Nice article, i'm sorry you have developed RSI at a young age. I was trained when I was a teenager near 40 years ago. I don't keep those training materials, but I will try to summarize it. I think most of the materials are now in the memories of the 60s/70s years old. But there are some online resources [0], a video is not like an teacher in the 80s, but it can help. My training was directed by a teacher (female, old, no jokes, focused, loved her work). Now I known there is a big difference having a teacher, she can correct you. It's like heavy lifting, everybody can try to pull a bar. But there are small mistakes that can be corrected, and will avoid common injuries. The first day in the training, was about "position". The teacher corrected me for the first week (a lot of times, teenagers are stubborn). The first day was about: * sitting position. * forearm, wrist, hand position. The forearm, the wrist and the hand shall be aligned. Somehow floating, but not floating, resting with no pressure even typing. It's difficult to describe but this video [0] of the 50s can help. * Not placing the forearm aligned with the hand is one of the most common mistakes in people. Some people align the thumbnails of both hands, that's a mistake that put pressure on the wrist and forearm muscles. The ergonomic keyboards are designed to correct this, and to return the hand/forearm to the right alignment. There are some videos from the 50 [2], mentioning this. * Shoulder shall be relaxed, one effect of not having proper forearm/hand alignment is also compression in the shoulder. * Training for IBM Selectric and training for a mechanical typewriters was mostly similar. But everybody begins with the mechanical ones. You need to "hammer" the mechanical ones. They needed more pressure and force using the fingers (not the wrist). When changing to the Selectric, the words/minute increased automatically. They keys do not jam due to fast typing, and the Selectric has memory and automatic carriage returns. But position, and memory muscles remained. * Stretch the hands at the end. (I was forced to do it and can't go out of school immediately after finish assignment). Now, 40 years after, I know it helps after long typing sessions, but as a teenager it was another boring rule to break. * Caps-locks: I see a lot of comment in this thread about cap-locks. Each of us shall use the flow that best suits their work. But for me, I have memory muscle of using the Caps when there are more than two continuous uppercase. It's intuitive, i don't think about it. When it's not there, my memory muscle rebels. My hands feel it deeply wrong due to two months of training 40 years ago. If remapping caps fits you, go for it. * Shift balance. Only one finger from each hand at the same time. This avoid forced positions in a single hand. (applies also to ctrl and special characters). * Space-key balance. space pressed with the opposite thumb to the previous used hand. Once you were properly in position, the finger training begins (repetition of key patterns). But for the few first days, the teacher corrected us the position continuously (interrupting the key repetition). After a few days: the focus on position, changed to focus on typing mistakes. Nobody went out of the room until they completed the exercises without errors. For me that means expending two hours instead of one like my school mates that were there for one only one hour. I don't keep materials, but looking for similar books, this "Elementary Typewriting I"[3] from 1960 gives some hints. I'm pretty sure, back in the days, there were a lot of methods. Check the us navy film [0]. The position was also their first lesson. Those days, clerks spends 8 hours of continuous typing, and an injury means full stop. [0] US Navy training material, first day. Emphasis on position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1e4BC41wRU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1e4BC41wRU [1] 1930 contests. Show the position of clerks using mechanical typewriters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-x9JX8ypJ0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-x9JX8ypJ0 [2] common typing mistakes. Use your fingers, not the wrist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQszbUhE30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mQszbUhE30 [3] US Army book on typewriting https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=K_f3apVfwOYC&rdid=book-K_f3apVfwOYC&rdot=1 https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=K_f3apVfwOYC&...

justwalt 6y ago

How should a trained professional be using caps lock?

rsecora 6y ago
Typewriting was an skill in the XX century. In order to reach high words/min, you need to develop memory muscle and avoid typing errors. Those days, a single typing error means repeat a full page. With modern word processor that have disappear. It was common to have two or more caps in a row. There are two shift. They were designed to use with the opposite hand to the key being type. So only one finger in each hand is pressing the keyboard, that applies to uppercase and special characters. Fast typing means you avoid errors and balance the hands. For uppercase/special chars you need both hands, one pressing the shift, the other pressing the key. When there were two or more characters, the operator switch to caps, it was easier, faster. The memory muscle was developed. Back in the days, mechanical machines don't have italics, only one font, and bold was tricky in some machines. This applies also for Selectric, nobody changed the ball in the middle on a text. So uppercase was used for emphasis. That's how a trained professional used caps lock 40 years ago. Currently, it depends on your text input.